Job Description

Since its formation in 2016, Microsoft's AI, Ethics, and Effects in Engineering and Research (Aether) Committee has served in an advisory role to Microsoft's Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on questions, challenges, and opportunities with the responsible development and fielding of AI technologies.

The Aether Committee works closely with the Office of Responsible AI (ORA) and with corporate divisions. The main board and its working groups engage in engineering efforts, perform studies, and evaluate the implications of different usage scenarios for AI.

A core function of Aether is advising ORA on decisions and policies governing sensitive uses of AI. Sensitive uses (SU) comprise potentially high-risk scenarios that - if not managed properly -- could have material negative impact for stakeholders. To support this advisory function, Aether is seeking a AI Sensitive Uses Lead who will partner closely with ORA to deliver the following scope of work.

* Work with ORA's sensitive uses case management team to review inbound cases and identify relevant subject-matter experts within Aether to advise on these cases.

* Facilitate engagement with these experts to enable thorough and efficient knowledge transfer and recommendations.

* Capture the key points/recommendations from these exchanges in a sensitive uses advisory knowledge base.

* Work with ORA to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations; share these learnings with Aether in order to improve the implementability of future recommendations

* Work with ORA to summarize key themes/trends in sensitive use cases and identify relevant areas for new RAI research.

* Drive rapid-response focus-team efforts when needed to quickly develop a pan-Aether perspective on time-urgent sensitive use topics

Required qualifications for this role include:

* MS or PhD degree in one or more of the following fields: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Human-Computer Interaction, Data Science, Ethics

* Experience in evaluating the ethical and/or socio-technical implications of the deployment of AI or Machine Learning systems in the open world

Preferred qualifications for this role include:

* Knowledge of and experience in the field of AI and/or Machine Learning, especially with regards to ethical considerations in deploying AI and ML.

* Experience working in an industrial or academic research environment. Familiarity with the research discipline as well as research processes and methodologies.

* Exceptional cross-group orchestrations skills and an ability to operate within a fast-moving, highly ambiguous corporate environment

* Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to collaborate with different disciplines and roles in research, legal, engineering, etc.

* Experience partnering with legal and policy-making disciplines is highly desirable

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.